Thank You
by Gamer551
Summary: ""I was born to save you, and I will. You won't rot in here with my body, I promise you." I shake my head; I don't want to hear this. It sounds too much like a goodbye..."/ What happened to Kuja in the Lifa tree..? My first one shot! Ending Spoiler!


**A.N~ **_I finished playing Final Fantasy nine about a month ago, and to this day I've been wondering how the hell does Zidane get out of that frigging tree, so I decided to write my own ending! XD I love Kuja and I felt so sorry for him at the end… _

_This is a family thing about Kuja and Zidane! XD I might make a story about them later, but until then, this is my FIRST ONESHOT! FYI This is also the first story I've ever written in first person... EVER... on paper or otherwise... so please tell me what you think. I need to know if I should never attempt first person again... :)...rated for character death!_

**Disclaimer: I don't own final fantasy… Every time I try, I get thrown out and threatened with a law suit… *Sigh*… One day…**

_**WARNIG! SPOILER AHEAD!**_

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"_I'm alright 'cause I have you here with me  
And I can almost see through the dark there's light"_

_**~Chantal Kreviazuk – feels like home~**_

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**Thank you**

"Are you scared?"

I looked towards my brother from where my head rests on his shoulders and feel my breath hitch. He is much paler since yesterday, and his breathing is becoming shallow. "Not really…" He breathes leaning his forehead on the top of my head.

I clenched my eyes tight. It isn't fair. It isn't right. I had finally found someone like me, someone who didn't know their purpose in life, someone who was just as confused as me. The only difference between us is that I will find my purpose, I will live on… and he is going to die before we get out of this wretched tree.

I hate the fact that my brother would have to die in this godforsaken tree, and I hate that it is my fault. He wouldn't be dying if I was never made, he would have been able to live. I become stronger every day, and he is slowly slipping from my grasp.

It hurts when he blames himself for my imprisonment in the Lifa tree but I don't; I had jumped in myself, and I would never take back my decision, I would never blame him. I reach down and find his hand and intertwine our fingers. "I'm sorry brother…" I don't want to cry in front of him. I don't want him to know that I'm scared. I don't want him to believe he's going to die, because I won't let him. All my life I had been searching for some kind of family, some kind of proof that I belonged somewhere. I had found that… my brother… and I won't let him go.

"I wish you weren't here…" His voice is shaky, and his hand squeezes mine. I don't want to admit how weak he has become. He's so fragile now sometimes I'm scared to touch him, too afraid that he won't be with me much longer.

"I don't mind. " I answer because it's true. I don't want him to be alone. No one should be alone in such a place, and I'm glad I can be there for him. "I'm just glad were okay. I thought I would get here and you'd be dead."

He's silent for a while and I have to look up to make sure he's still okay. "Why did you help me?" I cock my head at his question. He knows why I'm here. I told him. He's my brother, and he saved me. I couldn't leave him. There was no way I could. He must see the look on my face what I'm thinking so he continues. "I mean… why did you forgive me?"

I furrow my brow at the question but answer anyways. "Because I would have done the same thing…" I look around at the thick vines surrounding us and sigh. "Death is a scary thing. Death is frightening and to know of your death with no way to stop it would have been more so. I know why you did it. You had no one to tell you it was going to be okay. But you have me now, and I know you'll be alright."

I feel his weak nod against my head and feel him suddenly begin to shake.

"Kuja?" I call sitting up quickly to look at his pale face. "Are you alright?"

He smiles and reaches out his hand. "Help me up Zidane…" I nod and pull him slowly to his feet. His knees buckle and I have to wrap my arm around his waist to support him. "Zidane…?"

His voice is shaking worse than before and I can feel my heart beat speed up. I can't lose him, not yet. "Y-yeah..?"

"We both know I'm not going to be alright…" I shake my head to object but he continues. "In the beginning, my destiny was to help you and raise you, but I didn't. I turned my back and tried to kill you out of jealousy. How you managed to forgive me is beyond my understanding, but you did. From the very beginning, I was born to die…" I shake my head; I don't want to hear this. It sounds too much like a goodbye.

"Kuja, you weren't – "

"I was Zidane… I was born to save you, and I will. You won't rot in here with my body, I promise you."

I try to ease him to the ground, but he won't let me. "Come on Kuja, you need rest. You're going to be just fine… We'll find a way out together when you get your strength back."

"I won't Zidane, and you know it… I know it…" he pulls out of my grasp and turns towards me, his silver hair whipping around his neck. He stares at me with similar blue eyes, his silver tail curling around his body to intertwine with my golden one. "As long as I am here, I will not let you suffer any longer." He reaches out his hand and smoothes out my golden hair and rests his hand on my shoulder. I feel tears burn in my eyes and suddenly he removes his hand, and his tail returns behind him and he smiles. "Don't remember me for the terrible things I've done. I know your friends are far from forgiving me, but as long as you remember me for what I'm about to do, I'll be happy."

"Kuja…?" I hold my breath, petrified from the sudden turn in events. He won't… I rush to his side and try to pull him away from the wall of vines in front of him, but he won't budge. I pull at his clothes to turn him around but he shrugs me off. "Brother, please don't…"

His hands shoot out on either side of him, and silver light envelopes him in its glow. "I'm glad you stayed with me Zidane…" The light shoots from his body, breaking a whole into the vines in front of him, and travels through the tree and breaks a whole on the other side.

I'm shocked for a second. It's been a while since I had seen the outside world and the sudden breeze feels good on my skin. My shock however, is short lived when my brother begins to crumble to the floor. I catch him before he hits the floor and lower him so that his head is on my lap. "K-kuja…?" He's breathing, but just barely. "Kuja come on… d-don't do this to me…"

"Zidane, you have to leave now. The vines will eventually grow back. You have to hurry." His voice is so small that I have to lean in close to hear him.

"I won't let you rot down here either." I wrap my arms around him, and hold him, so that he is resting on my back. "I'll get you out of here."

When I finally reach the exit, I rest Kuja on the ground on a soft patch of grass and smooth back his silver hair. The moonlight touches his face, outlining him in a blue light. I don't care suddenly that I'm out. None of that matters anymore. All I want is my brother to be safe. But he's not.

I wish I could have gotten to know him sooner. I didn't know how good a friend he could be until now. But now is too late. "Kuja, come on, were out…"

"Are we…?" He breathes, looking up at the sky. "I'm glad this night is so beautiful. At least I get to see it one more time, huh brother?"

I nod my head, because I don't know what to say. I feel the tears from before begin to pool over and he brushes them from my face. "It's alright. You'll start a family one day, and be happy. You'll forget all about me one day." I shake my head, I will never forget him. "Where's your sense of humor brother? Smile… I don't want to see you cry over me. Not after all that I did to you."

"I c-can't… I-I don't want to…" I rest my head on his chest and cry, easing into the hand that is running through my hair. "I won't forget you. You're my brother…"

"Will you stay…?" I look up to see glistening blue eyes. "I-I don't know if it will hurt…" I nod my head and take his hand into mine.

"I'll stay for as long as you let me…" And I do. I stay when he's too weak to talk, when he begins to shake violently and coughs a crimson liquid, when he stops shaking and becomes still. I stay until his heart stops, and I stay until the sun peeks over the horizon, because I don't know what else to do…

"I'll miss you brother… Thank you…"

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"_Maybe someday you'll have woke up,  
And, barely conscious, you'll say to no one:  
"isn't something missing? ""_

_~Evanescence - Missing~_

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**A.N~** _PHEW, DONE! That actually made me sad to write... and its kinda short…. O.o Please review! XD_


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